EuroBasket 1946

The 1946 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1946, was the fourth

EuroBasket 1946 saw the beginning of the use of the jump shot, pioneered by Italy's Giuseppe Stefanini.

Results

The 1946 competition consisted of a preliminary round, with one group of four teams and two groups of three teams each. Each team played the other teams in its group once. The top team in each of the groups of three and the top two teams in the group of four played in the semifinals for the top four rankings; the middle teams in the two groups of three moved directly on to the final round for a 5th/6th place playoff; the bottom team in each group of three and the two bottom teams in the group of four played in semifinals for the 7th–10th ranks.

First round

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Italy	3	3	0	152	71	+81	6	Semifinal
2	Hungary	3	2	1	113	70	+43	5
3	Poland	3	1	2	91	102	−11	4	Classification 7–10
4	Luxembourg	3	0	3	53	166	−113	3

Poland	45–28	Luxembourg
Italy	39–31	Hungary
Luxembourg	10–48	Hungary
Poland	25–40	Italy
Italy	73–15	Luxembourg
Poland	21–34	Hungary

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	France	2	2	0	112	29	+83	4	Semifinal
2	Netherlands	2	1	1	66	74	−8	3	Classification 5–6
3	England	2	0	2	38	113	−75	2	Classification 7–10

England	27–48	Netherlands
England	11–65	France
France	47–18	Netherlands

Group C

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Czechoslovakia	2	2	0	58	50	+8	4	Semifinal
2	Switzerland	2	1	1	50	43	+7	3	Classification 5–6
3	Belgium	2	0	2	56	71	−15	2	Classification 7–10

Czechoslovakia	20–17	Switzerland
Belgium	23–33	Switzerland
Belgium	33–38	Czechoslovakia

Final round

The middle team of each of the groups of three did not compete in the final round, as they advanced directly to the 5th/6th place playoff. The top team of each of those groups played one of the top two teams of the group of four, with rankings 1st–4th at stake. Similarly, the bottom team in each group of three played one of the two lower teams in the group of four in a semifinal for 7th–10th places.

Brackets

Classification 5th–10th

	Classification semifinals				Seventh place match
	England	27
	Luxembourg	50
					Luxembourg	11
					Belgium	42
	Poland	22
	Belgium	39
					Ninth place match
					England	22
					Poland	50

	Fifth place match
	Netherlands	25
	Switzerland	36

Upper bracket

	Semifinals				Final
	Czechoslovakia	42
	Hungary	28
					Czechoslovakia	34
					Italy	32
	Italy	37
	France	25
					Third place match
					Hungary	38
					France	32

1946 FIBA EuroBasket champions
Czechoslovakia 1st title

Final standings

1.  Czechoslovakia
2.  Italy
3.  Hungary
4.  France
5.   Switzerland
6.  Netherlands
7.  Belgium
8.  Luxembourg
9.  Poland
10.  England

Team rosters

1. Czechoslovakia:

2. Italy: Cesare Rubini, Giuseppe Stefanini, Sergio Stefanini, Albino Bocciai, Mario Cattarini, Marcello de Nardus, Armando Fagarazzi, Giancarlo Marinelli, Valentino Pellarini, Tullio Pitacco, Venzo Vannini

3. Hungary:

• FIBA Europe EuroBasket 1946
• FIBA Europe article on 1940s EuroBaskets
• Eurobasket.com 1946 EChampionship